Mani Sharma
"Ottawa needs a climate-resilience plan that protects people, infrastructure, and essential services, with particular attention to seniors, low-income households, people experiencing homelessness, renters, people with disabilities, isolated residents, and those living in poorly insulated or overheated homes.
I would support:
- More cooling centres, clean-air spaces, emergency shelters, and heat-response programs.
- Better public communication during floods, storms, wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and power outages.
- Stronger flood protection, stormwater management, drainage maintenance, and basement-flood prevention.
- Assistance for home weatherization, insulation, heat pumps, and energy-efficiency upgrades, especially for lower-income households.
- Climate-resilient design standards for new buildings and municipal infrastructure.
- Emergency plans developed with community organizations, health providers, Indigenous partners, and residents who are most affected.
- Climate adaptation must be treated as an essential public service, not an optional project."
Marie-Ange Ahinful
"I would strengthen Ottawa’s emergency preparedness, stormwater systems and critical infrastructure, while expanding tree cover, shade, cooling centres and clean-air spaces. The City should provide timely multilingual alerts and targeted support for seniors, people with disabilities, low-income households and residents experiencing homelessness. We must also work with community organizations to check on vulnerable residents and ensure emergency services have reliable backup power and clear response plans."
Kevin Hua
"We need to invest more into climate resiliency of our infrastructure both as measures to protect from the increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events like rain gardens and permeable pavement and to ensure stability of services for residents like upgrading our sewer infrastructure and burying power lines. Stronger environmental protection efforts of natural forms of protections like our wetlands for flooding and tree canopy for extreme heat are also crucial to this effort."
Chelsea Walton
"We need to continue reducing the City’s greenhouse gas emissions while also preparing our communities for the impacts of climate change that are already happening.
That means investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and emergency preparedness, while making sure residents have practical supports available to them. Programs such as Rain Ready Ottawa and the Residential Protective Plumbing Program can help homeowners reduce the risk of flooding, while community gardens and other local sustainability initiatives can help build more resilient neighbourhoods.
During extreme heat and poor air quality events, residents need access to cooling centres, splash pads, indoor recreation spaces and other safe public places. This is especially important for seniors, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness and residents who may not have access to air conditioning or other supports at home.
The City also needs to be ready to respond quickly when emergencies happen. Ottawa’s Emergency Management Office and City staff play an important role in coordinating responses to flooding, major storms and other emergencies. I support continuing to invest in equipment and infrastructure that make those responses faster and more effective, including tools such as mechanical sandbag-filling equipment that can significantly improve the City’s ability to prepare for flooding.
Climate action also needs to be part of our everyday decision-making. We should continue working to reduce emissions from City operations, improve the resiliency of our infrastructure, protect natural areas that help manage flooding and heat, and support residents in making sustainable choices."
Theresa Qadri
"Protecting Ottawans from climate change and extreme weather must be a public safety priority, especially for seniors, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and those experiencing housing insecurity.
I would focus on a review of safety plans in every ward, prevention, preparedness, and protection:
- Invest in upgraded stormwater infrastructure, flood mitigation projects, and the protection of wetlands and green spaces that help absorb excess water and reduce flood risk.
- Expand cooling centres, clean-air spaces, and emergency shelters so residents have safe places to go during extreme heat, storms, and wildfire smoke events.
- Strengthen emergency preparedness through accessible, multilingual alerts and proactive outreach to vulnerable residents before and during extreme weather events.
- Increase Ottawa's urban tree canopy and green infrastructure to reduce heat islands, improve air quality, and build climate resilience in every neighbourhood.
- Support the construction of mixed-income communities near transit, jobs, schools, and services so affordable housing is available in every part of Ottawa, not concentrated in a few neighbourhoods.
- Expand programs that help homeowners and landlords retrofit buildings with energy-efficient heating, cooling, insulation, and backup power systems, reducing costs while improving resilience to extreme weather.
- Partner with community organizations that support seniors, newcomers, and vulnerable residents to ensure no one is left behind during emergencies.
Climate change is already affecting Ottawa through flooding, severe storms, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat. By combining climate resilience with smart housing policies, we can protect residents, lower living costs, and build complete, inclusive communities where everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home."
Sheetal Narwal
“When the power went out after the July 1 storm, it was seniors and people living alone who had the hardest time. Ottawa now has a climate resilience plan, Climate Ready Ottawa, with funding for flood preparedness, cooling and backup power at City facilities. My job is to make sure it actually reaches Stittsville. I'll push for a cooling and warming plan for our ward that residents know about before the emergency, not during it. I'll work with seniors' groups and faith communities on a neighbour check-in network for heat waves, smoke days and outages. And I'll promote existing programs that protect homes, like the City's flood protection and home retrofit programs, which too few residents know exist. Protecting people and protecting City assets go hand in hand, and both save money in the long run.”